Wilde Current
by Starfang's Secrets
Summary: Based off of ADeadMissionary's "Electric Eldritch Eidolon", with his permission. What if Judy hadn't been able to cuff Wolford properly when they had been escaping precinct one? WildeHopps oneshot! Rated M just to be safe.


A/N: Hello everyone!

I know I should be working on _Embrace It_ , but I've run into a writer's block with it, and got inspired to write this little tidbit, based off of ADeadMissionary's story: _Electric Eldritch Eidolon_ , with his permission, of course! TheWyvernsWeaver fanart on DeviantArt for the story also inspired this oneshot. If you haven't read it yet, I _HIGHLY_ recommend it! Writing this has also helped me to get out of my funk with _Embrace It_ , so hopefully, chapter 36 is out soon… _hopefully_ ^^;

 _ **SPOILER ALERT!**_ This story is based off of a "what if?" twist of EEE, and the majority of it doesn't happen in the original story, but is my interpretation of what I think _might_ have happened if Judy hadn't been able to cuff Wolford properly when she'd had the chance.

I hope you enjoy^^

~Star

Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia, nor the idea for this story. All credit goes to the original author, ADeadMissionary.

* * *

Fear was a common emotion for prey mammals; one that had kept them alive in ancient times. Fear of death. Fear for one's mate and offspring. Fear of predators. While civilized, many prey mammals were still ruled by fear, especially in regards to their dealings with predators, despite how far they've come.

It was an emotion Judy Hopps was not familiar with. She was the fearless sister; the determined daughter; the brave friend. Fear was not a word in the energetic bunny's vocabulary.

So when the time came where she finally did experience it, it caught her off-guard; made her stumble. They had been right on the precipice of getting away cleanly from under their noses, when Wolford had asked her what was going on. Fear had made her freeze, stumble over her wording, and miss properly cuffing the wolf to the emergency exit—the cuffs had latched on well enough, but only for a moment, barely giving them a head start as the fox and rabbit duo ran for their lives. She could hear the pursuit of the ZPD behind them, the sound of heavy paws slamming against asphalt increasing her fear as much as the sound of sirens filled her with hopelessness.

 _'Damnit!'_ She thought, her teeth clenched tightly as tears burned her eyes and blurred her vision. She let out a startled gasp as she was suddenly pulled to the right by a pair of large paws on her arm.

"This way, Carrots!" Nick hissed fervently as he let go of her arm and led them down an alley away from the well-used route they had been taking moments before.

Not even bothering to question the fox, Judy followed. The sound of something very large landing where she had just been caused the bunny to look behind her. The cold, blank look on Fangmeyer's face as the tiger ran after them caused her to gasp with fright, before she turned to face ahead once more. "N-Nick…!" She called out in warning, her lungs burning as she tightened her grip on the large binder in her arms.

 _'If we can just make it to that hole…!'_ Nick thought desperately as they cleared the alley, only for them to duck into another.

Judy whined as she felt another set of paws join the officer behind them, unable to look behind as she focused on following where Nick was taking them. "They're getting closer!"

 _'Almost...there!'_ Nick thought gleefully as his goal came into view; a broken mammalhole. It would have been too heavy for either of them to lift on their own, however, this one was in desperate need of repair and had a large hole in it; large enough for the fox and bunny to easily slip through.

"Get down there, now!" He urged desperately as they skidded to a halt at the hole.

"Wha—"

"No time, just _go_!"

Without further prompt, Judy quickly eased her way down the hole. Because of her small nature, and her arms being full with Ruby's binder, she fell more than climbed down the shaft, but was no worse for wear as her fall was broken by the dirty water in the sewer. She didn't have time to care as she quickly got up and peered up above her at her companion. "Nick?" She hissed when he didn't move from the opening.

Nick had quickly followed the rabbit into the hole, except his longer form had allowed to place his hind paws onto the railing, giving him enough leverage to keep the upper half of his body out in the open.

Right where the two officers—a tiger and the gray wolf Judy had attempted to cuff—could see him. With one paw gripping the jagged edges of the mammalhole, his other paw reached into the pocket of his hoodie.

"Nick!" Judy screamed, fear making her voice reach a pitch it never had before.

When the officers were literally upon him, Nick's hidden paw whipped out faster than should be possible, a familiar pink spray-can flashing in front of the officer's eyes. The tod watched with savage satisfaction as the two larger predators' eyes widen as they realized what was about to happen.

Just a foot away, Wolford mouth's opened. "Oh, shi—"

Nick released a large, wide spray right in front of where he was, ducking down as the two officers ran into the gaseous wall created. Th pain that resulted from the contact caused them to stumble and fall, a chorus of pained whimpers and hisses erupting as the burning liquid saturated their clothes and fur.

Making sure to gloat mentally at his spur of the moment plan, the tod quickly vanished through the jagged hole, landing with a splash besides Judy. He yelped slightly in surprise as a small paw pounded into him.

"D-don't scare me like that!" Judy nearly wailed. She was forced to pause in her retaliation against the fox as Nick grabbed her paw with his.

"Later—we need to get as far from here as possible!" He then looked at the binder in her arms. "Do we need that?"

"It's the only proof we have that the ZBI is after you!" Judy stressed.

Nick's ears drooped a bit in surprise, before his expression became serious. "Let's go." He then grabbed the binder from her, took one of her paws into his, and together, the fox and rabbit ran through the sewers.

~o.8.o~

Jack Savage watched with cool eyes as the smaller than average she-wolf growled at the camera screens. They, along with Chief Bogo and a few other officers, had just watched as one of the various cameras in the city caught footage of the injured tod spraying the two officers with something before slipping away beneath the broken mammalhole. Her reaction was more than just anger at them getting away; there was fear there. Fear that had nothing to do with the possibility of war if word got out of what was happening. It made him narrow his eyes slightly, before an ear flicked at the beginning of a sound.

The large cape buffalo stood suddenly, gaining the attention of those in the room. His face was positively livid. "Antlerson, Fieldson, Trunkby! Take three units and scout the immediate are of that mammalshole. Grizzoli, Spottedtale, Crest! Take another three units and scout the exits on the outskirts near Tundratown and the Rainforest District. McHorn, Rhinowitz, Howler! Take another three units and do the same near Sahara Square and the Outback Lands. Concentrate on places where escape would be easy." He met their gazes with his own hard stare. "Use any means necessary to apprehend them."

"Chief Bogo." Ruby suddenly interrupted, causing the she-wolf to shiver slightly as the weight of said mammal's glare landed on her. She steeled herself before pushing forward with what she had decided to do; what she had been instructed to do. "I believe it's time to get in contact with my employer."

~o.8.o~

Two hours later, a pair of soaking wet mammals emerged from a lake near a cliffside on the edge of the Rainforest District. Their fur was matted and plastered against their bodies, their clothing being in similar states. Their movements were lazy; exhaustion was evident with each step they took, their expressions matching the image they were creating as they dragged themselves to the shoreline.

With a wet splat, the tod let himself flop onto his back on the shoreline, the waves caused by the waterfall that fueled the lake lapping gently against his hind paws. A second later, the bunny did the same, situating herself less than a foot from him. Slowly, their breathing calmed as the tension leaked from their bodies.

"We'll need to go back for the binder soon. How do you know the sewers so well?" Judy asked as after a moment of silence between them, the sound of the waterfall background noise to her thoughts.

"We'll get it later, too tired. And a good businessmammal always has contingency plans, Carrots." Nick answered, a tired smirk attempting to break out across his muzzle. Instead, it came out sort of like a lazy grin.

Oddly enough, this, combined with the ridiculousness of his statement in contrast to their current predicament, caused the bunny to stifle a slightly hysterical giggle. When the tod merely turned his head slightly towards her with a raised brow, another giggle followed the first. Soon enough, the dam broke and the bunny curled in on herself as she rolled to her side facing him, boisterous laughter rocking her small body.

The shock of such a weird reaction to their situation quickly faded from Nick, and it wasn't long before the absurdity of it all had him joining in a bout of hysterics as well. "Ouch, damnit!" He giggled in between pained breaths as he clutched at his chest with a paw. "Ha—that hurts—ha, ha!"

It wasn't until they finally stopped chuckling and Nick opened his eyes, did he realize just how close they were. Somehow, during the laughing session, the two had wound up in each other's arms. Bodies seeking warmth from the encroaching cold, they were pressed closely to each other. He felt his breath hitch slightly and the creature in his chest pulse with something primal as amethyst eyes full of mirth and exhaustion opened.

They stared at each other for a moment, frozen. Both afraid to move, breath; anything that might disturb the moment. Thoughts of how, why, and _'this is too fast'_ surged and swirled through both their minds as their figurative hearts longed for the other.

A sly, yet brutally honest fox who believed in her.

A naïve, yet determinedly optimistic bunny who trusted him.

Neither were sure who moved first, but suddenly lips were brushing gently against each other as eyes closed and breaths shuddered at the feather touch. Shy, uncertain; experimenting with the new act, they merely held the contact for a moment longer before the tod drew back and slowly opened his eyes.

He watched as her own eyes open slowly, a slightly dazed sort of look on her face—one he was sure was reflected on his own face—and couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as she gave a soft whisper.

"Wow."

"You ain't seen nothing yet, Fluff." Nick grinned before leaning in to press his lips against hers once more, this time with more pressure as he moved a gentle paw to the back of her head to pull her in closer. The bunny then tilted her head slightly, deepening the kiss and eliciting a soft sigh from the both of them. This kiss lasted a bit longer than their first, but just as sweet. When it did finally end, it left smiles on both their faces.

It was with a sigh that Nick untangled himself from the bunny and began to hoist himself up off the wet sand and mud they had been lying on. "C'mon, we better get going; we're not in the clear yet."

Judy felt the euphoria of her first kiss diminish a bit as the reality of their situation settled back into the forefront of her mind as the tod helped her up. "Where can we go, Nick? The ZBI want you."

Nick took a deep breath before letting it out slowly, and then met concerned amethyst with confident emeralds. "I got a place in mind that they'll never find."

"And that is?"

"Nick Wilde's _Last Resort_." Smirked the fox.

Judy gave him a bland look as she put her paws on her hips. Not seeing anything amusing or remotely revealing about what had just been said, she opened her mouth to rebuke him, but they both froze as a familiar sound filled them with dread.

 _Cli-cli-click._

Slowly, both fox and bunny turned their heads in the direction of the sound, their paws raising into the air cautiously. About three yards away, standing on an old path, was Officer Grizzoli. In one paw, he held his radio to his mouth, finger on the transmitter. In the other, was a real gun, the barrel end of it pointed at them. It was with cold eyes that the polar pressed the transmitter, the radio crackling to life.

"This is Officer Grizzoli. My 20 is on the edge of the Rainforest District by the old asylum. Target Grey and Target Red are in sight. Requesting backup."

"10-4. Unit 544-Z is in the vicinity. ETA less than five minutes."

"10-4." The bear said as he removed the radio from his mouth, his eyes never leaving the duo, his gun trained on them.

Silence fell upon the three mammals, the tension mounting with every second that ticked by. It caused the creature in Nick's chest to pulse, the rhythm nearly reminiscent of his heart as an odd energy began to thrum through his veins, his fur standing on end as it coursed through his body. It was hypnotic, his eyes becoming half-lidded as it nearly pulled him into a trance. A trance that was broken as the polar cocked his gun up.

"Remove your jacket." Grizzoli ordered in a gruff tone.

Nick and Judy shared a quick look before the fox arched a brow at the bear. "Excuse me?"

Black lips curled back in a slight snarl. "Remove it or get shot, fox." His expression then evened out into one of eerie calm. "I want to know what's so important about trash like you."

A sly, if mocking, expression washed over the fox's face. "Jealous, are we? First Hopps, and now me? You sure do have some inferiority issues, huh? Trying to make up for something, big guy?"

Judy's incredulous expression at the fox's audacity flinched into a wince when Grizzoli snarled viciously at the tod, his grip on the gun tightening.

Nick flinched as well, admitting to himself that that probably hadn't been the smartest move. _'Totally worth that second of mortified shock, though.'_ He mentally grinned, making sure to keep it off his face. "Okay, I'll show you. Geez." He said as casually as he could, dread filling him. Every mammal that had seen what was once his heart had turned against him. Every single one of them; and this bear was going to be no exception.

 _'Except Carrots.'_ The thought filled him with warmth, even as his fingers gripped the hem of his hoodie and the shirt underneath it. He hesitated a moment.

"Now." Grizzoli growled darkly.

Take a shuddering breath, the tod slowly pulled the clothing from his fur, revealing creamy matted fur until it revealed the gauze. Because it was wet, the medical cloth had become slightly transparent, a faint blue glowing light peeking through. It dimmed slightly with every exhale of the fox, brightening again with each inhale.

Grizzoli stared wide-eyed at what he was seeing. There was…something…in the fox's chest. Something where his heart should be. It wasn't natural. His instincts screamed at him to get away from it. But he needed to know. He needed to know why these two were so special and….

…he wasn't.

The thought hardened his expression and steadied the slight trembling that had begun in the paw holding the gun. "Remove the barrier." He ordered in a flat tone.

"C-Carrots?" Nick asked, his eyes flicking to the bunny. The bunny who had been glaring daggers at the polar bear since the moment he had arrived; not taking her eyes off of him for an instance. The slight waiver in Nick's voice, however, pulled her attention to her fox—because he was _hers_ now—and saw the nervous dread leaking through his mask, and felt her own chest tighten painfully.

Mutely, she nodded as she slowly approached Nick, returning her gaze to the armed officer. Keeping her movements slow and deliberate so as not to startle Grizzoli, she rested her paws on Nick's chest before turning to me his gaze.

"Everything's going to be okay." She said softly as she began to pull the medical cloth away from the hole in his chest. They both knew she had said the words before; that they were empty this far into the game. However, it didn't stop them from comforting the tod as he gave a jerky nod. "We'll get through this." With that last sentence, the soaked gauze and medical tap were removed completely.

The bunny felt her breath catch slightly, wide amethyst eyes taking in the creature keeping her fox alive. While she had seen it before, she had been too horrified to really take in its features; even when that traitorous doctor back at the precinct had examined him, she hadn't really looked at it. Now, though, she really looked at it.

The main part of it consisted of a round mass that coincidentally was the size of what Nick's heart had been, but the shape was more circular and lumpy than that of a fox heart. The membrane was a transparent pale blue, nearly iridescent, enabling her to see barely-there veins—or what she perceived as veins—beneath the surface, only a shade darker than the outside membrane. There were three, thick, branch-like protrusions that supported and kept it suspended in a triangle arrangement. From those three, smaller branches fanned out, embedding themselves into the surrounding damaged flesh. She was able to watch as something nearly black—what she assumed was Nick's blood—enter the creature through the branches, before going back into his body. There was no obvious source of its ominous glow; just the fact that it did, and dimmed slightly in time with Nick's breathing.

It was horrifying, nauseating…and disturbingly fascinating. Almost…beautiful.

This entire observation took but only a few precious seconds; seconds Grizzoli did not have patients for as he growled at the bunny blocking his view. "Move, rabbit."

Nose twitching slightly as her eyes flicked up to meet Nick's gaze for a moment, the bunny did as she was told. Judy slowly raised her paws in the air as she turned to watch the bear's reaction.

Brown eyes were wide in muted horror as he took in the sight of the thing in front of him, taking a step back. The way it glowed, the sight of exposed and expanding lungs, the freaking hole in its chest. It was more than unnatural.

It was an abomination.

"Shi…" Grizzoli tried to get out as he took another step back, the paw holding the gun now visibly shaking. He took another step back, and another, and another, until his back was pressed against a tree trunk.

"Grizzoli, calm down." Judy said in a soft, yet firm tone. Nick had quickly covered up his chest at the bear's reaction, but the glow could still be seen through the closed zipper and shirt.

"Don't come any closer!" The bear snarled, wide-eyed. He now held the gun with both of his trembling paws.

Both fox and bunny raised their paws higher as they took a few steps back from the officer, trying to seem as unthreatening as possible. It wasn't working.

"Don't move!" The bear shouted, hysteria entering his eyes.

Judy took notice, and alarms were going off in her mind as the situation escalated. "Griz—"

"Shut UP!" Came the frantic shout, his finger squeezing the trigger as he swung the gun in the direction of the bunny.

Nick's eyes widened. "Ca—"

 _BANG_!

Searing pain lanced through Judy, the force causing the bunny to be temporarily airborne as she cried out in agony, her paws clutching the left side of her abdomen. _'Damnit.'_ She thought, knowing how bad this was going to make things; especially with their predicament. There was a reason why she strived to be as fast as she could be. She was vaguely aware of a falling sensation, before she was slammed against something warm, soft, and living. Confusion filtered in through the pain, before the scent of violets, ozone, and fox musk cleared it up.

Nick gently laid the injured bunny on the wet said, the scent of pain and blood filling his senses. He stared in shocked horror as a dark red liquid gradually flowed from between the grey furred digits clutching at her left side, staining the sand beneath her. Disbelief made his voice come out in a whisper. "J-Judy?"

Opening eyes she hadn't even realized were closed, the grey bunny forced a tight smile on her face. "Hey, Slick." The sudden appearance of flashing red and blue lights had the wounded doe close her eyes at the glare, her breathing becoming uneven.

Some part of him knew what those lights meant, knew that they needed to get out of there; but all Nick could do was stare at Judy.

A few yards away from the couple, two cruisers pulled up near the tree line where Grizzoli was still pressed against the trunk of a tree. In short order, the mammals within the vehicles got out and made their way to the still-shaken predator. The mammals from the first cruiser were Officers Spottedtale, Crank, and Sipher; a male bobcat, a male cheetah, and a lioness respectfully. The other cruiser had Chief Bogo, Ruby, Jack, and a black wolf that was not an officer exiting it.

"Grizzoli!" Bogo called as they got closer, weapons drawn. "We heard shots; what happened? Where is your unit?"

"I…didn't mean to shot." The bear explained, his wide eyes glued to the two mammals at the shoreline. The new arrivals followed his gaze, and the black wolf narrowed his eyes. "I just…it's not natural."

As the cape buffalo tried to get more out of his officer, the fox on the shoreline barely heard any of it as Judy opened her eyes once more. It took a great deal more effort than the first time, her grip on her side relaxing. There were tears in her eyes, a wide range of emotions flashing through them; fear, regret, longing, hope, despair, lo—

He felt a chocking sound squeeze itself out of his throat when he recognized that last emotion, his eyes burning with their own tears. He chocked again, this time the sound coming out as a half-sob, as resignation finally settled in her eyes.

"I-I…" She took in a rattling breath, blood staining her teeth as she coughed. He tried to shush her, to get her to stop wasting energy on him of all mammals, but she weakly shook her head, before turning her dim gaze to him once more. She tried to lift a paw towards his face, but it barely left her side. Seeing her struggle, the tod took her paw in his own, causing the doe to smile softly. "I'm sorry…I couldn't…keep my…promise…"

"I-I forgive you." Nick said quickly, his voice thick as he squeezed her paw tightly. He didn't give a shit as his tears began to flow, soaking his already damp facial fur.

Judy smiled as much as she could at that, before sighing softly as her eyes started to close. She was just so _tired_. "I wish we…had...mo…time…." It came out as a faint whisper, her grip in his paw slowly relaxing until it went completely slack with her final word.

Nick's breath hitched, his emerald eyes wide as he stared at the unmoving bunny. "Judy?"

In the center of his chest, the creature that kept him alive quivered slightly. It could feel the fox's pain, and tried to numb it as it had all the other pains. When it found it could not stop this pain, it searched for the source of it, and cried out when it did. That was their mate! They could not lose her! In a burst of panic, it sent out a pulse of electricity down the arm of the fox and towards the paw that was still connected to the limp doe's paw. It would not fail—it _could_ _not_ _fail!_

Gmork cursed when he saw the pulse of electricity travel from the fox to the bunny, causing the limp mammal to twitch slightly, her paw falling from the fox's grip before hitting the wet sand with a muted thud. His outburst caught the attention of the mammals around him, startling them further as he whipped out his own gun and pointed it at the fox and bunny.

"What are you doing?" Bogo demanded.

"It's bonded with her, I—" The black wolf didn't get a chance to finish as the fox's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. Enraged, burning emeralds glared at him as they began to glow. "Ah, shi—"

The fox opened his mouth as he tipped his head back, and an unearthly howl of rage came forth. It had the base of a canine high-pitched howl, but it was overshadowed by a disjointed rumbling growl that sounded a lot like an earthquake, with a shrieking undertone.

The suddenness of the sound caused the mammals to cover their ears, their fur raising on end as it filled them with dread. Bogo managed to open one eyes as the sound continued to get louder. The center of the fox's chest was shining a bright pale blue—even his eyes were glowing, though they were a bright, eerie green. "Wha…?"

Then, with a sudden eldritch vulpine shriek, the fox's back exploded in a burst of light.

The cries of pain from the officers as they were all but blinded by the intense light joined in the haunting song of the changed fox, the crackling of electricity through the air the most prominent sound. When the alien howl ended and there were no longer any spots in their vision, the sight before them caused a few of the officers to drop their weapons in shock.

"…the hell?" Came Jack's incredulous whisper.

Before them, crouched protectively over the grey bunny's body, was a snarling red fox tod. Except, there was something wrong with it. Its eyes were glowing a bright, eerie green, the entire eye alight with the color and the pupil gone; the parts of the eye indistinguishable as the constant flow of tears could be seen shining brightly in the light. The hoodie the fox had been wearing and the shirt underneath it were completely gone, shreds of the clothing either singed to the now-dry sand and newly-formed glass around them, or drifting in the air like embers, revealing the chest of the tod. The grotesque wound from before had been mostly healed with fur covering the newly grown flesh, save for a whole the size of the fox's fist. In that hole, the creature that took the place of his heart was clearly seen, shining brightly as it pulsed with power; that same light peeking through the bared teeth of the fox's snarl—said snarl sounded like there were a dozen foxes snarling at them, the tones overlapping.

These, however, were all overshadowed by what hovered around the fox. Originating from the hole on his back, ten tails of pure electricity lashed out and around the tod, each at least twenty feet in length. The smell of ozone was strong, the immediate vicinity becoming magnetized by the high levels of energy contained in each tail.

"Gmork!" Ruby called out.

"I know!" He snarled as he reached into his coat jack.

The fox was faster.

One moment he was crouched over the bunny, the next he was in front of the wolf, glowing green eyes connecting with wide amber eyes. The sudden feeling of something piercing its way through his abdomen, the accompanying pain, and Ruby's cry, all told the black wolf he was done for. _'Damnit…now that the necro-zo has fully merged with him, there's no…'_

The sudden removal of the fox's arm from his gut cut-off Gmork's thoughts, causing him to groan in pain. He was already starting to weaken, his limbs hanging limply at his side as the fox grabbed the front of his jacket and brought their muzzles close together. When the tod spoke, it was not Nick Wilde talking.

"I will never go back there." It snarled, its voice sounding like there were two voices speaking at the same time. One belonged to the tod who's body hosted the being, the other slightly higher-pitched with a static quality to it, as if it were being filtered through lightning; it was the prominent one at the moment. The fox then turned his head away from the black wolf in his paws, and towards the trembling red she-wolf. "Tell that to your master, slave."

Faster than anyone could comprehend in that moment, a tail replaced where the fox's arm had been as it impaled the black wolf, causing the mammal to seize as bolts of electricity filled his body. Then, with a vicious snarl, the tail separated into a dozen smaller tails, slicing the wolf into many parts as they fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Just as quickly, the smaller tails merged back together to their original form.

"G-Gm…" Ruby stuttered, tears blurring her vision as she stared wide eyed at what remained of the black wolf, the scent of burning flesh searing her nose. Of their own accord, her paws lifted towards her ears. "N…nn…NoooOOOOOOO!" She cried as she pulled viciously at her ears, her eyes squeezed shut as she howled her despair.

The howl from the red she-wolf knocked the other mammals out of their shocked stupor and into action. The nearest officer to the fox, which was Officer Spottedtale, raised his gun at the tod. In the next second, the fox was on him, and the bobcat went down with a scream of fright as his gun went off, missing the tod completely.

"Damnit!" Bogo shouted as he aimed at the fox and fired. He watched as one of the electric tails slashed at the bullet, the little piece of metal exploding upon contact as the high levels of heat melted it. He turned to his other officers. "Crank, Sipher, look for openings! Savage, get Agent Ruby out of my sights and into the cruiser; I need you out here. Grizzoli, get Target Grey!"

While the mammals struggled to follow their orders, the fox did his best to maim the officer beneath him. However, not a single tail touched the bobcat as an internal battled waged within the tod.

 _'Stop it! That's enough!'_

 _'He's still moving!'_

 _'That's fine! You don't need to kill him!'_

 _'He would have killed us!'_

 _'Please, stop!'_ A mental sob joined the thought, giving the other being pause.

Outside, the tod released his jaws from around the bobcat's jugular, causing the feline to whimper with pained relief. Deaf to the chaos around it, the tod spoke. "Why?" It asked aloud, the static voice still prominent.

The answer came with a flash of a smiling grey bunny in his mind's eye, her amethyst eyes teasing. _'She wouldn't have wanted this…for us to do this…'_

Pain gripped the creature at the fox's words, and a longing to be with her filled them both. "Very well." It acquiesced in a soft whisper, before getting up and off the bobcat. Even as it was no longer on the offensive, the electric tails continued to lash out around the tod's body, defending it from the sporadic shots fired by the officers around it. Ignoring them, the tod turned its head in the direction of the bunny, and saw red.

"Judy!" It roared, launching itself at the polar bear that had been about to pick up the bunny by her ears.

The sudden roar startled Jack as he slammed the door on the cruiser, having just managed to get the now catatonic she-wolf inside it. Whirling around, he turned just in time to see the tod collide with the polar bear, knocking him a few feet away from the bunny's form. He went to grab his gun, but slight movement caught his attention, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Grizzoli!" Bogo shouted as he crouched down beside the now-unconscious bobcat. Resting his hoof against the feline's neck, he let out a breath of relief at the pulse he felt. Grabbing his radio, he pressed the transmitter. "This is Chief Bogo requesting an EMT immediately. I have two fatalities and a downed officer. My location is the shoreline below the old asylum in the Rainforest District."

"10-4, chief! They're on their way. ETA is seven minutes."

Bogo was about to demand they get there sooner when a vicious snarl pulled his attention back to the fox. The voices coming from the tod were louder this time, the two tones having the same dominance.

"How dare you try to put your paws on her!" The fox snarled as he shoved the bear's face into the ground. He had the officer on his back, four of his tails forming shackles around the bear's limbs; close enough to ensure they didn't move, but far away enough so they didn't electrocute the mammal. Yet. "You're nothing but a washout who thinks he's above the law just because your bigger. She's a thousand times better than you! You don't get to touch her!"

"S-she's dead…!" The polar bear blurted out, and knew it was the wrong thing to say as the fox froze. He then cried out in pain as his face was all but crushed into the harden ground beneath him.

"Because of you!" The fox shrieked into the polar bear's ear, the static voice now prominent. "Because of you!" Leaning back as he opened his jaws wide, he aimed for the bear's jugular as he lunged downward.

"Wilde!" A voice called out desperately.

Jack let out a shuddering breath as the fox paused, the officer in the tod's grasp whimpering before blacking out cold from the shock. He wasn't sure if this would work—he prayed this would work—but he had to try, or they would all no doubt die.

"Wilde!" The rabbit agent called out again. "She's alive!"

The vulpine's head snapped up so quick, Jack almost didn't see the movement. Glowing green eyes focused on his crouched form near the downed doe. He had his white paw pressed up against the grey and white fur of her neck. It was faint, but there it was.

A pulse.

"It's weak, but her heart is still beating." The rabbit buck continued.

"What are you doing, Savage?" Bogo demanded as he made to approach the buck. He stopped as the rabbit held out a paw.

"I'm saving our tails." Jack responded to the chief, before focusing once more on the tod. He flinched in shock when he realized that the fox was no longer on top of the polar bear, but was now quickly making his way to where the two rabbits were. Jack did his best not to show how terrified he was, but he could not stop his nose from twitching as the eldritch fox stopped on the other side of the doe.

Jack watched with fascinated horror as the fox crouched beside her, paws lifting to touch, but hesitating. Pupiless glowing green eyes turned to the rabbit buck, tears flowing from them; they had never stopped.

"She's alive?" The fox asked, the baritone of Nick Wilde more prominent as it spoke.

"Y-yes, but she needs medical attention. Now."

The eyes glowed brighter as the fox snarled. "Then get it to her!" The static voice screeched.

"An ambulance is on its way." Bogo said, having caught on to what the buck was trying to do.

That seemed to calm the fox, the light in his eyes dimming slightly as he returned his gaze to Judy. Reaching out a paw, he gently pressed his digits into the fur of her neck where Jack hastily removed his from when the tod had moved. The fox let out a shuddering breath when he felt it; a pulse. A whine escaped him as he removed his paw, only to take one of bloodied paws into it. _'Please,'_ both voices begged, _'please make it.'_

For the next four minutes or so, silence reigned. Not even the insects or other nature noises filled the night; all living things terrified of the unnatural fox. The only sound to cut through the tense silence was the soft crackling of the electric tails as they now swayed lazily around the tod.

When the ambulance finally arrived, Bogo made sure he was the first to greet the EMT's.

"Don't ask questions." The cape buffalo said in lieu of a greeting, baffling the two male tigers. "Don't react violently, and don't. Harm. The. Rabbit. Just do you job, got it?"

Confused, unnerved, and even a little frightened, the two tigers nodded in agreement.

"We'll do our best, chief." The one with the nametag that read "Manny" said.

"I don't want your best; I want you to do your job." Bogo stressed.

"Right." The other tiger, "Kevin", nodded. "Then please move and let us do our job, chief."

Bogo frowned, but moved to the side. He didn't have the time to put them in their place, but he did get some sick satisfaction in seeing their reaction to the scene before them.

"What the hell…?" Kevin mumbled, and flinched when the tod's head turned in his direction.

"Don't ask questions." Bogo reiterated. "Just help the rabbit. She's been shot in her side and her pulse is weak. It is imperative that she lives."

Manny felt his fur begin to stand on end, but then shook out his coat and forced his ears up. "Right. C'mon, Kevin." He said to this partner, and then held up his paws as he lowered himself as much as he could to the ground without impeding his ability to walk; in one paw there was his supply kit, the other empty. "My name's Manny." He said as he started to slowly approach the three mammals. His eyes flicked down to where the grey bunny laid, but snapped them back up to the fox when it growled. He could not stop the shudder of fear as those pupiless eyes glared at him.

"Easy, Wilde." Jack said. "They're here to help. If you don't let them, she will die."

The fox pinned his ears to his skull and bared his teeth once more, but it was not in an act of intimidation, so much as it was an expression of effort. It wasn't a battle of wills that took place as Nick Wilde tried to come fully to the surface of the body he now shared. Both he and the creature cared for the rabbit, and knew the tigers were only trying to help, but with the threat of minutes before still fresh in their mind, instincts were at an all-time high, bringing the creature to the forefront as it ran on them more than the tod. Precious seconds later, a calm began to ease into them. It took a moment, where no one moved, but eventually, the brightness of the fox's eyes began to dim, and the electric tails began to shrink. It was a few seconds later when the tails lost form completely and seemed to flow back into the hole on the fox's back. Then finally, the light left the fox's eyes, and emerald green irises and round pupils were revealed as they stared beseechingly at the EMT.

"Please, save her."

With a nod, Manny continued his cautious approach, Kevin not too far behind. Crouching down beside the unconscious bunny, he turned his attention to the tod. "May I touch her?" He watched with unease as the fox's eyes flashed bright green for a second, but the fox nodded. Slowly, Manny reached out and placed a large digit against the side of the doe's neck. He nodded to himself as he felt the pulse. He then slowly brought his digits to the wound, bringing out a flashlight to take a look at it. He frowned.

"What? What is it?" Having kept his gaze on the tiger, Nick felt panic surge within him at the frown. "I-is she…"

"No, it's not that." Manny quickly reassured the unstable fox with a quick shake of his head. "Fortunately, the bullet merely cut through her side and cleanly went through." He gently nudged the wound to get a better look at it as he continued. "She's lost a lot of blood, but her wound is no longer bleeding. It seems like the edges of the wound have been cauterized, stopping the blood flow."

"Did one of you guys manage to do it?" Kevin asked as he got out what they needed from their supply bag.

Jack shook his head in the negative. "I had my paws full at the time."

Nick frowned. "I don…" He trailed off as the memory of pulsing electricity through his body and into Judy's flashed before his mind's eye. The desperation that had not been his, yet mirrored his own, that had been attached to it told him what had happened. "I…did it." He looked at his paws as he turned them to face up. "Somehow…"

Manny nodded, trying not to think too hard on how exactly the tod might have done it as he began to disinfect the wound. "Well, you're quick thinking saved her life. It's the only reason why she went into shock and didn't die from blood loss."

Nick stared at Judy's relaxed face as the tigers cut her shirt open so they could better dress the wound. _'Thank you.'_

 _'Ours.'_ Came the possessive response. _'Ours to protect.'_

"There we go." Manny said as his nose twitched a bit. Raising his eyes to the sky, he saw that the clouds were moving in a turbulent manner. "And just in time, too. Huh, the weather forecast didn't say anything about rain tonight." A flash of lightning made him frown. "Or a thunderstorm."

The fox extended his paws out to her, but paused just before touching her. He turned to Manny. "Can I…is it okay to move her?"

Manny nodded. "You can hold her, but we need to get her to the hospital soon. She's lost a lot of blood."

Slowly, gently, Nick pulled Judy into his arms, cradling her delicately against his frame. When she was pressed against the creature in his chest, it quivered and pulsed within him as he gently rooted his snout in the fur of her neck, taking in her living scent. Around them, the wind began to pick up.

Bogo glanced at his phone, impatiently waiting for the EMT's to okay the bunny to be moved. He didn't know how he was going to restrain the fox, but they'd figure it out somehow.

 _'Need to finish healing her.'_

Nick's hold on her tightened a bit. _'How?'_

 _'Need to get somewhere safe.'_ The feelings behind the thought, and the impressions it gave to him, showed what it meant, and suddenly, Nick knew what to do. The creature pulsed within him once more, its energy radiating towards the particles in the air.

"What is with this wind?" Jack shouted, the sudden increase in its strength shocking him. He released a startled yelp when it lifted him, making him airborne.

"Gotcha!" Kevin shouted as he grabbed the bunny with both paws just as he was lifted a foot off the ground.

"Thanks!" The buck called as lightning flashed and thunder sounded, before turning towards the fox. His eyes widened despite the wind when he saw the glow of Nick's chest begin to brighten once again. "Wilde! Stop it!"

Nick clutched Judy closer to him, being mindful that he wasn't putting pressure on her wound and that her head was fully supported by his larger paw. He closed his eyes as the wind picked up speed once more.

"Savage! EMT's!" Bogo called, his voice barely reaching over the howling of the wind. He began gesturing wildly with his arms. "Get away from the fox!"

Having not heard him, but getting the gist of the message from his signals, the EMT's quickly moved away from the motionless tod, Jack in tow.

"You're not making things any easier for her!" Jack tried one more time, his voice getting taken by the wind.

Yet, somehow, Nick still heard him.

"I told you." The fox said, his eyes still close. The static voice was once again merged with the tod's, the two voices speaking as one. It vibrated through the air in pulses, allowing him to be heard over the raging winds as eyelids opened to reveal glowing pupiless green eyes. "I'm not going back there!"

Then without warning, a bolt of lightning shot down from the storming clouds above, resulting with a loud thunderous explosion as it made contact with the fox and bunny. The sound caused the other mammals to cry out in pain as it damaged their ear drums. When they were finally able to gain their bearings, all the remained of Target Red and Target Grey was a blackened spot of melted sand that was swiftly cooling into glass.

~o.8.o~

As the storm raged, it traveled swiftly until it was out of _Zootopia's_ city limits. As lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the heavens, an eerily bright green bold of lightning shot down from the storm clouds and into dense woods. The impact of the bolt agaisnt the ground left a deafening crack of thunder, scorching the forest floor. In the middle of that scorch mark was red fox and grey bunny that had not been there before, completely unharmed.

Nick's eyes were no longer glowing as he took in gasping breaths, his eyes wide as he clutched Judy to his shaking frame.

 _'I can't believe that worked!'_ He thought incredulously. "Holy shit, I can't believe that worked!" A faint whimper caused his breath to hitch and his focus to shift to the bunny in his arms. "Judy!" Quickly looking her over, he felt relief wash through him as he confirmed she hadn't gained any extra injuries from their less than conventional way of travel.

 _'Electricity would never hurt her.'_ The creature stated. _'Ours.'_

"Right." Nick let out a shuddering breath, and then looked around him. He was struck by a sudden need to find them a den; somewhere safe where he could take care of her. With his precious cargo secured in his arms, the fox set out to do just that. It wasn't long before he came upon a cave, and once confirming that there were no large reptiles inhabiting it, he took it for his own. Without thought, the fox brushed his tail against the entrance, an arch of electricity crackling from it before it latched onto the entrance and spread out. The sudden noise alarmed the fox, and had him whirling around just in time to see a barrier of electricity being formed before it faded from sight. Though he could not see it, he knew it was still there, and would keep intruders out.

"What…?" He asked with wide eyes.

 _'Safe now.'_

Squeezing his eyes tight, he pushed his questions about that to the side for now, just like the fact that _he'd killed another mammal in less than twenty-four hours_ , and tried to focus on treating Judy. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Nick opened his eyes before gently laying the bunny onto the cave ground. Kneeling besides her, he paused, uncertain. "What do I do?"

 _'Watch.'_

It was an odd experience, which is really saying something considering what had happened to him in the past forty-eight hours, for his body to start moving on its own. It started with a tingling sensation from where the creature was imbedded in his chest, before it spread out to his limbs as it encompassed his entire being. Without his say, his body leaned over Judy's prone form, just as he felt a sharp pain in his chest before it settled into a dull ache that quickly faded away.

He was immediately alarmed when fluid began to fill his mouth, the taste of it sharp, biting, almost spicy in its intensity. His alarm grew into panic as his lips were pressed firmly against Judy's, his tongue easily invading her mouth as he massaged it against the roof of her mouth, transferring the strange liquid to her. A large paw lifted and gently massaged the doe's neck, encouraging her to swallow.

It was only when Nick had no more to give did his body pull away, leaving him heated and confused. Before he could even attempt to sort through his thoughts on what had just happened and how strangely erotic it had been, Judy let out a shuddering gasp as her back arched off of the ground, startling the tod. It disorientated him how suddenly he regained control of his body, but he quickly pushed that aside and focused on Judy as she settled back down, her breathing stabilizing. Putting a paw to her neck, he found her pulse stronger than it was a few seconds ago. Moving to her wound, he also found that healed.

Tears of relief burning his eyes, Nick caressed her cheek, his paw trembling slightly. "Judy?"

Slowly, Judy's eyelids opened, revealing pupiless eyes that glowed a bright pale lavender.

* * *

And that's it! Thanks for reading a leave a review if able to, I love reading them^^

There will be NO sequel to this, so don't even think about asking for it lol I just wanted to do this as a tribute to the amazing work of ADeadMissionary. He has two other stories, and I really recommend reading them!

I hope you enjoyed this oneshot as much as I enjoyed writing it^^ and hopefully, the next chapter of _Embrace It_ will be out soon.

Until next time,

Ja ne!

~Star


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